USC Strengthens Nike Pipeline With Latest Student-Athlete Signing

The USC Trojans and Nike have been on a roll in the month of July.

First, USC Athletics and Nike agreed to a new 10-year contract extension, which includes new workout equipment, an NIL program along with student-athlete classes, new uniforms for the men’s and women’s basketball programs and an updated student store. Then 2027 commit Quentin Hale was announced as a member of Nike Football’s NIL high school roster. Now the Trojans will have one of their football stars joining the Swoosh family.

USC Trojans Big Ten Offense Jayden Maiava Waymond Jordan King Miller Tanook Hines Terrell Anderson Lincoln Riley — Sep 13, 2025; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; USC Trojans running back Waymond Jordan (2) runs the ball during the second quarter against the Purdue Boilermakers at Ross-Ade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

On July 23, senior running back Waymond Jordan shared on social media that he has signed with Nike. Details of the deal are still unknown, but fans can expect to see Jordan in new Nike advertisements, commercials, billboards or product rollouts.

Current USC Student-Athletes Signed With Nike

USC Trojans Big Ten Nike NIL Women's Basketball JuJu Watkins Jazzy Davidson — Mar 24, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans guard JuJu Watkins (12) during pregame warmups before an NCAA Tournament second round game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Nike has a strong foothold within the women’s basketball program due to JuJu Watkins. The Swoosh signed Watkins during her senior year of high school in October 2022. Then, in October 2024, Watkins signed a multi-year extension that was the richest sneaker deal in women’s basketball history. She is also the face of Nike-LeBron James’ new sneaker line.

Rising star Jazzy Davidson also signed with Nike in her senior year of high school (2024). Incoming freshman Saniyah Hall, who was the No. 1 overall recruit of 2026, inked a deal with Jordan Brand during her senior year as well (2025).

In October 2025, volleyball players Madison Pietsch, Presley Kiffin and Mia Tvrdy, along with basketball player Vivian Iwuchukwu, modeled in the Nike-SKIMS collab. After appearing in the social media campaign, the players signed NIL deals with the brands.

Before Hale and Jordan were signed, Nike locked down freshman tight end Mark Bowman. Entering his senior year at Mater Dei (2026), the five-star player was the No. 3 player in the state of California and ranked within the top-30 nationally. During spring, Bowman was heavily featured on the Nike App promoting new Nike football gear.

What Brand and NIL Deals Mean to Waymond Jordan's Star Power

USC Trojans Big Ten Nike NIL Running Back Waymond Jordan — Sep 27, 2025; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Southern California Trojans running back Waymond Jordan (2) runs through the Illinois Fighting Illini defensive line during the second half at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

This isn’t the first big deal Jordan has landed this year. Back in April, Jordan signed an NIL deal with Panini America. It may be surprising that Jordan has deals after a shortened 2025 campaign, but rather it's a testament to his star potential.

Prior to his knee injury (Oct. 11, 2025 versus Michigan), Jordan was averaging 6.5 yards per carry, had the third most yards after contact among Power Four backs (421 yards), five touchdowns through six games and two 150-plus-yard performances. He ultimately ended the season with a total of 88 carries for 576 rushing yards, seven catches for 55 receiving yards and five touchdowns.

During his sophomore campaign (2024-2025), Jordan rushed for 1,614 yards on 218 carries, averaged 7.4 yards per carry and had 20 touchdowns through 12 games. His season-long performance led the Blue Dragons to a NJCAA DI Football Championship victory. Jordan also won the 2024 NJCAA DI Football Offensive Player of the Year and was selected to NJCAA DI Football First Team All-American and the All-Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference First Team.

With the emergence of King Miller, Jordan is now a part of one of the best running back rooms in the nation. The senior back is also an early candidate for the Doak Walker Award, which is more proof of Jordan’s stardom.

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